Timing
by ericaj318
Summary: As season 2 begins, Mitch is searching for Jamie and another member of the team has some things going on that concern him. OC is a marine biologist along for the ride since day 1. Will include flashbacks. MitchxOC
1. Chapter 1

April Mitchell left her apartment, armed with an assault rifle, as night had set. She hadn't heard from any of her team in months, since the crash and she was worried about them, one in particular. She began her night at a bar and continued from one to the next until she located her target

As she walked into her tenth bar for the night, she knew she'd reached the right one because she heard a fight. She walked further in and saw Mitch taking on some young guys.

"Break it up, boys," she said as she made her presence known, "All that noise is likely to attract some unwanted attention."

Mitch looked up at the sound of her voice, his face filled surprise, "April?" he asked, his vision clouded by all the alcohol he'd ingested.

"Scram you two," she instructed the young guys as she flashed her police badge.

"You're a cop now?" Mitch asked as he put his glasses back on and took a seat at the bar gesturing for her to join him.

April nodded, "There weren't a lot of opportunities for a marine biologist when we got back. Listen, is this what you're up to now?"

Mitch sighed at her instant judgement, "What else should I be doing?"

April shook her head, "Don't be like that. I just wanted to check on you because I haven't seen you since the night after the crash...in the hotel."

Mitch nodded, "I'm sorry about that. I was just processing everything. Do you want a drink?" he asked looking to the bartender.

April declined, "I'm not here for an apology, Mitch. I enjoyed our time as misguided as it might have been. I came to see you and I've done that so I will head out. Behave, ok?"

"Why are you in such a rush to leave?" he asked, suddenly realizing how lonely and dark his existence had become.

April shook her head, "I'm not at all. You just didn't look thrilled to see me so I thought I'd let you get back to your thing, here. If you want me to stay for a little while, I will. Do you have a place to live?" she asked, knowing it was a dangerous question given his state of mind but she was worried about him.

Mitch nodded, "Yeah but I don't go there very often, it's lonely. At least when I'm here, I have him," he said, pointing his glass to the bartender, "And this dog who for some reason isn't a rabid beast."

April scrunched her brow as she turned to look at the dog. She watched it carefully and realized that Mitch was right, "Do you know why this dog wasn't affected?"

Mitch shook his head, "If I did we might finally have an answer but our answers died with Jamie and the baby cheetah," he finished as he tipped back his drink.

"Do you have any food here?" April asked the bartender.

"I can make you anything without meat in it. What would you like?" he replied.

April thought for a moment before answering, "Do you have mozzarella sticks and a pickle spear to go with it? Oh and maybe a few fries?"

The bartender nodded as he disappeared leaving Mitch and April alone.

"I wish you weren't so drunk," April sighed as she looked at him as she spoke, "I wanted to talk to you tonight."

"I'm not drunk by any means. What did you want to talk about?" he asked, pulling his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That night that we had," she started, "Was that something you would want to happen again or was it just an accidental one time thing?" she asked, her heart sinking as she asked.

Mitch was about to reply when his cell phone rang, "Mitch Morgan," he answered.

April looked down as he took the phone call until her phone beeped to alert her of a text. As she read the text, her heart sank into the pit of her stomach, "We found Jamie and the cheetah. What's your location?" She looked at Mitch after he hung up and she'd read the text.

"Can we continue this conversation another time? Abe is on his way to get us."

April nodded as the bartender showed back up with her large and strange order, "I'll take that to go."

 _5 months earlier_

 _April watched Jamie and Mitch kiss in the back of the plane but before she could process what she was seeing, the plane rocked before it started free falling toward the ocean. April braced herself for impact but the plane began tearing apart. She didn't know what would happen next until she felt a rush of cold water surround her lower half._

 _They'd crash landed in the ocean. April undid her seatbelt and located one of the flotation devices below the seats. She was quick to inflate it and climb on as she looked for the rest of her team. She noticed Abe was doing the same thing and he had Jackson._

 _April began looking for the others when her eyes spotted an unwelcome sight. Swimming in their direction, a fin rose above the ocean waves. April paddled faster until she reached Mitch. He was unconscious when she pulled him on the boat._

" _Abe, I have Mitch. Do you see Jamie or the cheetah?" April shouted._

 _Abe shook his head at her question, "We need to get to shore."_

 _April nodded as she began working toward that goal, keeping an eye out for other unwanted ocean visitors. What she found strange was the lack of sea life coming at them. Sharks were already aggressive so she figured with the mutation out there, they would swarm anything that touched the water's surface but it was the opposite._

 _Later the four reached the shore and Mitch came too, "What happened? Where's Jamie?" he asked, his voice in full panic._

" _We couldn't find her after the plane went down. We need to get inside and get warm and report what's happened so search parties can go out and look," April replied watching as the information sunk in to Mitch's head._

 _By nightfall, they'd reached a hotel and the government had reserved them two rooms. Mitch and April took one and in a drunken haze, they'd slept together. It was partly from grief, partly from alcohol and some of it was from general attraction. After the team was picked up, they all went their separate ways but April had no idea how much that one night was going to change her life forever._


	2. Chapter 2

Mitch and April walked out of the bar, weapons ready, as a black hummer rolled up. "Get in," Abe said from the driver's seat.

"It's good to see you," April said as she and Mitch jumped into the backseat.

"You too," he replied, "Jackson is already there so we are going to meet him."

"What do you know?" Mitch, suddenly sober, asked.

April sighed as she began eating the assortment of food she'd taken with her.

"We got reports that a man has a cheetah cub in the woods. There was a radio broadcast but it was brief so that is all we know. It sounded like Jamie but we can't confirm anything yet," Abe replied.

"So, when do we get on a plane to save her?" Mitch asked, eager to save her and the cure.

"They government is sending in a team to extract them. We are waiting for the word," Abe replied.

Mitch nodded as he sat back and looked at April, his mind flashing back to the bar, "What did you want to talk about again?"

April looked up, almost relieved he hadn't remembered her question, "You already answered it," she partially lied as she looked away from him and back to her food.

"What do you mean I already answered it? I am not that drunk," he replied.

April shook her head, "It wasn't a verbal answer but I got what I needed so there's no reason to drag it out. Do you guys want any of this?" she offered her food to change the subject.

Both men shook their heads as they continued the drive. Once they arrived at the facility, the were ushered in by a group of soldiers until they were in a conference room.

"I'm glad you're all here," Chloe said as she appeared.

"You're alive?" April asked, shocked because they hadn't found her in the wreckage of the plane.

Chloe smiled as she replied, her beautiful accent ever present, "I was found floating on a scrap of the plane. We need to get to business," she began, "We are about to go back into the field to find another cure if the cheetah is no longer viable. Once Jamie is in our custody, the government has given us a plane that is 100% safe and equipped with everything we need. Each of you is to report to the medical wing for a pre mission physical."

"Why do we need that and what exactly would disqualify us?" April asked before Chloe could ask if anyone had any questions.

Chloe smiled at her, "Nothing really and as long as nothing has changed from before, we should all be ok. Follow the signs, Mitch and April, you two are up first."

"I want word as soon as Jamie is recovered," Mitch said as he stood and followed April to the medical wing of the large government facility.

"What are you so worried about?" Mitch asked as they walked. He noticed how tense she was carrying herself since the moment Chloe mentioned a medical evaluation.

April shook her head, "There's nothing worrying me. You should be the one unsure of your results. I'm sure you did a number on your liver during the duration of your bar stay," she deflected.

"I thought it was just the alcohol but you haven't been acting like yourself at all tonight," he said as he stopped walking and looked at her, "What's up? You asked me about our night together and I didn't answer it contrary to what you said."

"You did though," April replied, "You raced out of there at the mention of Jamie's name and I saw you two kiss before the plane went down so I know where I stand and it doesn't really matter anyway, does it?"

Mitch wasn't sure how to answer because he did have feelings for April but he could also tell there was more on her mind then just the potential future for the two of them.

"I don't know where I stand romantically with either of you but I do need to find her," he replied, "It's not because of love though. Did you want more than just that one night?" he asked, changing the direction of the conversation.

April wasn't sure how to reply but she decided one secret was enough, "Yes, I do. Mitch, I've had feelings for you since day one of this mission and when I saw you kiss Jamie, my heart broke because until that moment I thought you might feel something for me too. But this isn't the time for that which is why I dropped it earlier. Let's get Jamie and then you can decide but I won't be surprised if it's not me you want," she answered as she walked away into the medical room and into exam room 1.

"April Mitchell?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Has anything of consequence changed since the last time you went on a mission?" he asked, ready to make notes on the chart.

April nodded, "Yes," she began, knowing she couldn't lie when they'd be doing tests, "I'm five months pregnant."


	3. Chapter 3

"You won't be disqualified for that," the Doctor replied, "Mitch Morgan is an excellent scientist and he can monitor you while you all are abroad. Have you already been taking your vitamins and have you seen an OB?"

"Yes," April replied, "Everything looks good so far. I am not so sure about Mitch though, is there any other option?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No, I'm afraid not. You either accept the care Mitch can offer or you will have to stay here and help from afar. The choice is yours."

April thought for a moment before she made her decision, "I accept your terms. Will you let him know, please?"

The Doctor nodded as he dismissed her. April smiled to herself at the thought of how Mitch was going to receive the news as she walked back to the conference room where Jackson, Chloe and Abe were waiting.

"Any news?" she asked.

"She wasn't there but we got the cheetah. It's on its way back. Abe and I are going to fly to Japan to gather my Father's research in case we need to move to a plan B," Jackson replied.

"Mitch is not going to be happy to hear this," April sighed as she looked at Chloe, "What are the rest of us doing while we wait for Jackson and Abe to return?"

Chloe looked up as Mitch joined the group, "We are going to get a blood sample from the cheetah to test the cure. It is possible since so much time has passed that the virus has mutated further."

"We have the cheetah?" Mitch interjected, "That's great news! Is Jamie on her way back?"

The team looked at each other awkwardly, no one wanting to answer his question which he knew immediately from their silence, "Is she dead?"

"No," Chloe replied, "She left and she spelled a city name with rocks on the roof but we don't have the manpower to go there now. We will find her, eventually."

Mitch slammed his fist down on the table, "She is the whole reason any of us are even here and were able to figure out what happened and how to fix it," he said through gritted teeth, "And now we're just gonna let her wander through the woods and hope she makes it. Sounds like an excellent plan," he finished, his tone dangerous.

Chloe looked at Mitch, sympathetically, "I understand how your feel and I'm so sorry that we can't save her right now but we will. I'm going to take Jackson and Abe to their transportation, please let me know if there is anything I can do to make this any easier."

Mitch scoffed at her response as she walked away with Jackson and Abe. April took this opportunity to begin walking away herself but he stopped her.

"April, can we talk for a quick minute?" he said, composing himself from the previous moment.

April nodded as she walked back toward the table and took a seat, "What's up?" she asked, playing on facade of innocence.

Mitch frowned at her as he too took a seat, "Were you even going to tell me?" he asked, his voice calm for the moment.

April shook her head, pretending not to know a thing, "What am I supposed to have told you about?" she asked, unsure of how upset her act would make him.

Mitch sighed as he reached out and took her hands into his, "April, c'mon. The doctor told me what I'm supposed to be doing on this mission and he told me how far along you are. Were you going to tell me that you are pregnant with my baby?" he eyes showed some of the hurt he felt at her silence over the last few months especially now.

April nodded as she pulled her hands away from him, "I was going to. I tracked you down so that I could let you know and see if you wanted to try to be a 'couple' but then we got the call about Jamie and I knew that I never stood a chance and it was just easier to keep my mouth shut," she explained.

Mitch looked at her, his eyes more deeply hurt than she'd ever seen, "So, you were just going to start showing while we were on this mission and potentially give birth under who knows what kind of circumstances without saying a word to me?"

April nodded once more, "Mitch, I decided not to tell you because Jamie makes you happy and if she is alive then there is no place in your life for me and I didn't want you to think I was using this baby as a way to sway your opinion. I did it for you and for me because I didn't want to be rejected," she admitted looking down at the ground.

Mitch rolled his chair closer to hers, pulling her into his arms, "My excitement for Jamie being alive is mostly out of relief that she is ok but I don't have any more affection for either one of you and had I know you were interested all along I may have never even kissed Jamie. You and I make more sense. Can we give it a shot?"

"Are you sure?" she asked, her face showing the full vulnerability she was feeling.

Mitch nodded as he led his hand down to her abdomen placing it there to feel the slightest sense of her body growing, "I am very sure. There's not doubt Jamie is going to be shocked when we do get her back but I know that what I want most in the world is the chance at a family and I am going to have that now. So, can we go set the lab up for the incoming cheetah test?"

"That was a quick change of subject but I am completely down," she replied as she leaned forward and pulled his lips to hers before allowing her hands to run down onto his chest through his button up shirt.


End file.
